Whenever You Need Me
by See Jane Write
Summary: Abby gets the results from her mammogram back, and it's not good. Luby. Picks up from the end of Wake Up.
1. Chapter 1

Whenever You Need Me

Summary: Abby gets the results from her mammogram back, and it's not good. Luby friendship. Picks up from the end of "Wake Up".

Spoilers: Up to "Wake Up" I suppose.

Author's Note: I do love Abby. I really do, but this struck me, and I have that wild imagination that won't rest until I complete something. Or at least attempt to complete something. I'm doing that rambling thing again, aren't I?

Disclaimer: ER started when I was five years old. I could not have created such characters at that age, and I still can't create many of my own now, so don't sue me for stealing other people's.

Chapter One

The elevator doors opened on the ER floor with a ding. Luka Kovac was walking past them without glancing over at the elevator itself. Why would he? He had a patient for which he must provide care. That was more important than looking at whatever could be in that elevator. Or so he thought.

She had to respect that. Did she even want him to notice her? Could she deal with talking to anyone right now? She highly doubted it.

She glanced down at her watch. There was only half an hour left on her shift. When she had gone upstairs, there were no incoming traumas. That seemed to be true for the present. Nothing seemed to have changed. Nothing at all down here.

Eerie, she thought. How could things be essentially back to normal down here when her whole life could be changed?

Her mind was made up. She could not stay at the hospital. She had to get back to her apartment. She knew it. It was safe there.

"There you are," Neela Rasgotra began as she walked down the hallway towards the elevators. She noticed Abby Lockhart standing there. Abby was not doing anything else. She was just standing, deep in thought.

Neela waved her hands in front of Abby's face, and Abby seemed to immediately jump out of her trance-like state. "I have a patient with--" Neela began as she handed a chart to Abby.

"You're an R-2," Abby pointed out crossly. "I still think of you as the smart one in the ER. You can figure it out."

"But Dr. Clemente--"

"Is an ass who is not hot," Abby interrupted. "Besides, Luka is here, and Morris probably." She thought about it again. "Ok, maybe not Morris, but I saw Luka."

"Are you ok?" Neela asked. Her tone of voice shifted from that of a meek, insecure child to one of concern for her friend.

Abby let out a small chill from that question.

Neela knew the situation was not good. "Abby?" she asked again.

Abby's mouth went dry. The words would not form. It was stupid. Why was she worrying over something she could not even prove existed? At least, she could not prove it yet. Again, she shuddered.

Neela placed a caring hand on Abby's right shoulder. "You have my number," she said. "Call me absolutely any time." She did not need to know what was going on right now. Judging by Abby's appearance, the older resident could not even grasp it yet. When Abby could and if she wanted to talk about it, Neela would listen.

Abby nodded and mouthed a small "Thanks". She started walking towards the exit. She had to get out of that hospital. Her patient, Stephanie, was right. She could not grasp the situation completely until she went through it herself. She could tell herself any number of medical clichés, but that would not comfort her right now. She could not rest at ease until those results came back.

The doors to the ambulance bay were within plain sight. She did not have far to go.

Luka noticed her. He knew her. With just one glance, he could tell that something was not right. He walked over to her. "This isn't about a patient is it?"

"Kind of," Abby began. "Well, maybe."

"Kind of and maybe?" Luka asked. "As in…"

Abby exhaled. She could trust Luka. "As in the patient could be me."


	2. Chapter 2

((Author'sNote: Thanks for all the feedback. You guys are great!))

Chapter Two

The fear on Abby's face and in her voice was present. It was obvious to anyone who looked at her. Fortunately for the resident, she and Luka were still the only two people in the hallway.

Luka knew something serious was going on in Abby's life. Though he did not know specifics, he could not risk anyone else in the ER finding out what the information was. He wrapped a protective arm around her and guided her back to Exam Four. No one else was in there, and he knew that no one would be for quite awhile.

He eased Abby onto one of the beds and sat down next to her. Her eyes were focused solely on the ground. As Luka lowered his head, he could see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it, or do you just want someone to be with you right now?" he asked.

"It's stupid," Abby whispered.

Luka picked up her head slightly. "If it has you this worried, it's not stupid."

That did it for Abby. She did not know if it was the ambiguity of her condition, Luka's deep concern for her, her just being hormonal because she was a woman, or a combination of the three, but something in those last two seconds caused her to break down crying. She was not making much noise, but her petite body was shaking. Tears were rapidly flowing down onto her white coat.

"Hey," Luka said soothingly. He pulled her into his arms tightly and began rubbing her back. She needed that. He might not be the best person for it, but he was there. He could not, would not, leave her until she felt better. "It's all going to be ok."

"You can't know that," Abby sobbed. She took in a deep breath to calm herself and rubbed her eyes. Her gesture calmed the shaking, but her tears were still flowing.

"Hey, hey," Luka repeated. "What's this all about?"

Abby still could not speak. She was trying to, but the words would not form in her mouth. She tried to open her mouth, but it was useless. She tried again, but nothing happened. It was then that Luka noticed her struggle.

"Do you feel sick?" he asked.

Luka started to place his hand on her forehead, but Abby stopped him. "It's not that," she whispered.

"What is it then?" Luka asked. "I can help you."

Abby shook her head. "Don't say that to make me feel better," she told him in a soft but commanding tone. "It's not going to work."

Luka looked at her in confusion, but he said nothing. He could tell that she was going on with an explanation.

"I just got back from Radiology," Abby started. Her voice was a little shaky, but she could make the words out. "You remember that breast cancer patient I had? Stephanie. She kind of looked like Ross's ex-wife's lesbian lover on ­_Friends_," Abby elaborated.

Luka looked lost.

Abby dismissed it. "Not important," she said. "The important part is that she scared me, Luka. My mom's sister and mother had it, and it's more common than you think, and--" Her words were starting to blend together as she spoke rapidly.

Luka pulled her back into his tight embrace. "But you don't know that you have it," he said in means to comfort her.

"I don't know that I don't have it either, and that scares me," Abby argued.

Luka did not know what to tell her. He could not say that he understands because that would be a lie. She would call him out on it. He knew her better than to just state medical clichés of how even if she has it, it's early, so it's probably treatable.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Luka offered.

Abby nodded slightly. "Yes, please," she whispered.

"Ok," Luka agreed as he stood up and offered her his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the magnificent _ER_ characters (or the monkey. That was great.)

Author's Note: Thank you for all the feedback, and sorry for the delay. Forgive me if it's a little short, but I had to get it up before tonight's episode aired. Seeing as it has not yet aired, forgive me if I contradict it…And I do admit that I don't know how long it would take to get mammogram results back, but I'm going from the show there.

* * *

Chapter Three 

The past several days had to be the worst in Abby's life. Never before has she felt so afraid. Each time a fax or results would come down from Radiology her stomach would turn over and she would feel sick. She hated it. She hated living with this ambiguity over her head. At least if she got the results, even if it was positive, she would not have to worry about when they would arrive. Who would be the first person to see them? Would they actually look at the results themselves, or would they respect her privacy?

Since that first night when she got the mammogram, she had been avoiding Luka. She could not deal the thought of him asking her what her results were. She probably would be confiding in him eventually, but she did not know. She was a mess. An unfocused, distracted mess.

The monkey thing was helping her keep her mind off of it though. She liked the added perk that only two other people knew about the monkey, so she would not have to see anyone else. She would just have to act normally around Neela. Besides Luka, Neela would probably be the one to notice if something was wrong. She had noticed it on the first night. If Abby kept acting this distracted, she would notice again.

But did she really think she had it? She knew her chances were higher than others. She did not think she had any symptoms, but she knew that some patients never realize they have it. The only thing that would end her worry was those results. With them could be an even bigger amount of worry or the biggest relief she has felt in a very long time.

She wondered into the area behind the desk. Someone was talking about results. Radiology. Hers? "I'll take it," she said as she grabbed the piece of paper. She glanced at it briefly. It was long enough to give the impression that she had actually saw results, but short enough that she had not actually seen anything. She could not do it in front of all these other doctors. Ray, Morris, Jerry. They had no right going into her personal business.

She quickly picked her head up and saw the confused looks surrounding her. "I, uh, had a mammogram a couple of days ago," she admitted. "It's negative."

She glanced back down at it. She heard someone congratulating her, but she did not register who it was. She just knew it was not Luka. She still would not look at the results though. She had to wait. Of all patients, she had to go take care of a monkey.

* * *

Finally, the day was over. At least her shift was over. There would be other doctors coming in. There always were. There were plenty of med students and first year residents. Jane was smart. She could take Abby's place. Abby walked into the doctor's lounge and was relived to find it unoccupied. She could finally sit down and answer the question that has been haunting her for the past several days. 

She sat down and felt the couch conforming to fit her figure. She leaned back against it and pulled out the paper with her results. For the first time since she had gotten it, she actually looked at it closely.

No. This couldn't be true? It had to be a lie. They must have read it wrong. Were these even her results?

She checked. They were hers.

How? She could feel tears coming to her eyes again.

The door opened. Damn it. Abby quickly rubbed her eyes and moved the results sheet. It was Luka. She let down her resolve. Luka had already seen her at her worst.

"Word on the street is that your results are negative," he said. "That's wonderful, Abby." He looked at her more closely. The look on her face was not one of rejoicing. It looked more like she had received the kiss of death. Curse of death, actually.

He walked over towards the couch and knelt down in front of her. "Abby, this is good news."

Abby shook her head and looked down into her lap. "No, it's not," she whispered. "I lied."

"About what?" Luka asked. He moved and sat down next to Abby. He picked up her head lightly. He could see the tears forming in her eyes. He could tell that she was desperately trying to keep from crying in front of him.

"My results," she whispered. "Th-they're not negative." She drew in her breath and tried to calm herself. It was useless. She would be reduced to another sobbing mess in a matter of seconds. Her tears were becoming more rapid. She was not ready for this. She was not ready for any of it.

Luka wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her close to him. He would hold her, console her. He could not make her better. The best thing he could be for her was a shoulder to cry on.

"It's positive, Luka," she choked.

All Luka could do was rub her back.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Forgive me for the delay. Errors in uploading.

* * *

Chapter Four

Abby had spent that night at Luka's. She had not intended to. It was supposed to be simple. She was distraught over her results. He offered her a ride home. She accepted since she did not want anyone on the El to see her in her current state. What had happened that night was not what she had expected.

She rolled over and looked at Luka. He was still asleep. She could not bring herself to wake him. She had already been such a burden for the past couple days. Luka did not need her waking him up at early hours in the morning.

Luka moved closer to her. When he could not roll over all the way, his eyes began fluttering open. He smiled as he saw Abby laying there next to him. "Good morning," he said happily.

"Luka, what happened last night?" Abby asked as she turned and looked up at Luka's ceiling. "Between us, I mean," she amended. Plenty of things happened that night. She knew that, and she did not wish to discuss most of them at this moment. She felt happy for the first time since she had been diagnosed. She did not need to turn into another blubbering mess for Luka to comfort.

"Well, I think we were reminded of why we stayed together so long," he answered with a smile.

"Don't be cute," Abby commanded. "Why did it happen?" She was not entirely sure of how she felt about it. Of course, it was nice. Luka was great. He is great. He is the only one of her friends and co-workers who knows about her condition. She truly felt lucky to have him in her life. But was that all?

Luka pulled Abby over so that he could look into her eyes. "You're an amazing woman, Abby," he started. "You make work at County bearable for me." He smiled at her. She truly was amazing. She was beautiful. Even after the two of them broke up, he knew it was not the end of their relationship. Now he had his proof. Judging by the fact that she was still in his bed as opposed to trying to scramble out of there as quickly as she could, he assumed she felt the same way to some extent. "I love you, Abby," Luka admitted.

"Really?" Abby asked. She frowned. That question was too accusing for her liking. "That's not what I meant," she corrected. "I'm just trying to make sure that this is happening for the right reasons."

"What do you mean?" Luka asked.

Abby frowned. "I'm not saying that you would do this, but I have to make sure." She sighed as she returned her focus to the ceiling. Before Luka could question her again, she answered the question she knew he was thinking. "Make sure that you're not just saying that because you feel bad for me."

Luka shook his head and pulled her closer to him. "I would never do that," he assured her. "I love you for who you are. If you feel the same way, then I would be the happiest man alive."

Abby moved closer and rested her head on Luka's chest. "I think I feel the same way," she said. "I mean, you have always been so good to me, these last few days especially. You're so sweet and kind."

"But?" Luka asked.

"But I'm not sure right now. You really are a great guy, and I feel that I love you," Abby said seriously. "But this right-reasons thing is a two-way street. I need to be sure that I'm not just clinging to the first man who cares for me because I'm afraid of dying alone."

Luka shook his head again. "Abby, you're not going to die."

"Everyone dies, Luka," Abby reminded him.

"Ok, rephrase. You're not going to die from this. You can beat it. I know you can. You're strong. You're a fighter. This is nothing but a mere set-back. You'll be back on your feet in no time, and I'll be right there with you the entire time."

"D-do you mean that?"

Luka nodded as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I do," he stated. "I love you, Abby."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I do apologize for the delay. And I'm trying to work as much of the ER-plot into this as I can. This particular chapter takes place around "All About Christmas Eve", and will thus contain Luby spoilers from that episode.

* * *

Chapter Five

Life was not easy for Abby. That was an understatement. Life was almost a living Hell for Abby. The only thing keeping her from completely breaking down and jumping off County's rooftop was Luka. Now she did not even know if she had that. She still had Luka with her. It became more obvious each day that he was in love with her. But she did not know if that was entirely a good thing.

Her period was three days late. She knew three days was not a lot. She could maybe skip a month. It could be somehow related to her cancer, though she could not see how. It was still driving her crazy. She knew the other reason why it was late. She did not want to talk to Luka about that reason. She had enough crazy health problems to hide from County.

No one at County knew she had cancer yet. She went to Mercy to get a better idea of what was going on. According to the doctor she saw, whose name completely slipped her mind, there were a couple of small tumors inside of her. So far, it seemed not to have spread beyond her breasts. It would be a difficult road to recovery, but sixty percent of the tumors were operable. They were working on getting her a surgery date.

Abby knew she had to tell people. At the very least, she had to tell Kerry Weaver. She considered telling Clemente, but he has not been around recently. She did not know why, and she honestly could not care. She never really liked him anyway. She did not want him knowing.

Neela deserved to know. Neela was her friend. She noticed that Abby's behavior was not normal. Again, she questioned Abby on it, but Abby denied that anything was happening.

Now possibly two things were happening. One was more ominous than the other. The other she did not even know if she could handle. She had never had a baby before. She was too afraid of the chances of it being bipolar. She did not know if she could deal with a bipolar child when she was about to die. She hated it all.

She turned the water to the shower off and stood there for a moment. She just stood there. Eventually, she reached for her towel. It draped over her shoulders and she pulled it to cover her chest. Its ends were just below her hips. She did not know if she could leave the bathroom. Leaving would mean facing Luka. Leaving would mean facing the whole world. She was not ready for that.

She stayed there for nearly fifteen minutes. Her hair was soaking wet, and it dripped down her back and through the towel. It reached her bare skin. It was cool. Abby shivered in response, but she did not make an effort to dry herself or get dressed. She just stood there, deep in thought.

She should wait until she knew before telling Luka that she might be pregnant. After all that he has been through in terms of children and babies, it was best that way. She did not want to get his hopes up.

Though on that level, then she should wait before she decides to keep the baby to tell him. She did not know what to do.

A knocking on the door disturbed her thought process. "Abby, it's me. Are you ok in there?" he called.

Luka opened the door, slipped in, and quickly shut it. He knew not to let too much cooler air inside the bathroom. He looked over at Abby and pulled her closer towards him. "What are you doing?" he asked her. He started rubbing her with the towel to dry her off. He reached for her bathrobe and helped her put it on. Then he sat down on the toilet seat and pulled her into his lap. "Now, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked. "Still worried that you're going to die?"

Abby shrugged. Ever since she had been diagnosed, she has had that fear. Nothing Luka or anyone else could do would make that feeling go away. "That's not it," she whispered. Her voice sounded strange to her. It was as if she was not used to it.

"Well, what is it?" Luka asked. "Are you not feeling well enough to go into work today?"

"I'm not supposed to work today," Abby responded. She drew in a breath. Luka was being sweet. She could tell that he was genuinely worried. She did not want to see him worry like this over her. "It's probably nothing." She frowned. That was not true. It was definitely something. It was only a question of whether it was something to worry about. "Ok, it's hopefully nothing," she amended. She swallowed. This was not supposed to be this hard. "I'm late."

Luka knew what that meant. He knew all too well what that statement meant. "How late?" he asked her. Like Abby said, it might be nothing.

"Three days," she whispered. "I don't think it means anything, but I just want to make sure."

Luka nodded as he hugged her. "Don't worry. I'll take you in. I'll do the test myself."

"Thank you," Abby whispered. She reached for her clothes. Luka left the bathroom, and Abby got dressed. When she came out from the bathroom, the two of them headed to County.

Abby was paranoid. She was able to make it back into the emergency room all the way to Exam Four without being noticed. Luka was scheduled to work, so it would not be weird to see him in. But seeing him go around Exam Four when there were barely any patients in the waiting room, yet alone the other exam rooms, would be odd. She just hoped that no one asked Luka what he was doing. If they did, she hoped Luka was a good liar.

Luka returned quickly with the supplies. He had a small chart along with him. Abby's mouth dropped open in horror. "What do you have that for?" she asked. "You said this would be off the charts."

"Weaver saw me taking supplies. I have to pretend I'm treating real patients," Luka responded. He motioned for Abby to lie down on the bed. Once she did, he began wrapping the band around her arm just above her elbow. He tied it tightly and began flicking the skin just underneath it. "Squeeze your hand a few times," he said.

"Are you having trouble finding a vein?" she asked, a bit scared. "I've never had trouble before. Does this mean something?"

Luka shook his head. "No, don't worry," he said. "I have one. You just clear your head." He rubbed her skin with an alcohol swab. He looked up at Abby. "Ready?" he asked as he picked up the needle in his hands.

Abby nodded. "Go ahead," she said as she grasped the edge of the bed.

"Ok," Luka responded. "Quick pinch, ok?" The needle pierced Abby's skin. Luka quickly began collecting her blood. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You did great, Abby. Don't worry."

"Luka, I've had a blood test before," Abby responded. "This is not the part that worries me. It's the results that make me paranoid."

Luka kissed her hand. "Whatever those results are, we'll deal with it. You're going to be fine, Abby." He then grabbed a small piece of cotton and held it above the needle in her arm. He removed the needle and started applying pressure to the cotton ball. He then placed a bandage over the cotton and pulled Abby to a sitting position. "You can stay here," he told her comfortingly. "I'll run this up to the lab and wait for the results."

Abby nodded as she watched Luka clean up the area and leave. He left the empty chart behind.

"Luka?" Kerry Weaver's voice was unmistakable. She was quickly approaching Luka. Luka stopped and turned to face her. "Luka, where are you going?" she asked.

"Run this sample up to the lab," Luka responded. He had to get out of there. He had to hurry. Pretty soon there would be actual patients. The lab would be too busy than to do a pregnancy test.

Kerry eyed it curiously. "It's not labeled. How will the lab know what to do?"

"Well, I intend on telling them myself and staying there until we get the results back," Luka said. "We're not that busy."

"Now," Kerry interrupted. "But morning rush hour starts in about ten minutes. There's bound to be an accident. How will you even know which patient this is? I don't see a chart."

Luka exhaled deeply. He did not know what to do. He knew Abby was not at a point for telling anyone yet. However, it had been weeks since she found out. It was almost Christmas now. Mercy was trying to fit her into their schedule. She would be having this surgery within the next ten days. She had to tell someone now.

"Luka," Kerry prodded in a warning tone.

"Come here," Luka said. He grabbed a blanket from the closet on his way. He opened the door to Exam Four.

"That was quick," Abby said in response. She gasped as she turned around. Luka was not alone. "Shit, Luka, what is this!" she demanded. "I told you to do this off the charts. I don't want Kerry knowing before I know."

"Shh," Luka said as he walked over and draped the blanket around Abby's shoulders. "Kerry only knows that you're the patient I'm seeing. She stopped me before I could take it up to the lab."

Kerry was still shocked to see Abby on the bed. Although, it did make sense. Abby was a bit distracted all week. In the few days she had been down in the ER, she had seen her. She was not behaving in her normal way. "Abby, whatever it is, you can tell me," she said. "If you need anything, I can help."

Abby shook her head. "I don't really see how you can, but I have been putting this off for too long." She still did not want to admit it. It was too scary. Too…bad. She hated it.

"Abby?" Kerry questioned.

"I have breast cancer," Abby muttered the loathed truth. "And there's a chance I could be pregnant."

"My god," Kerry whispered back. "Abby, I had no idea. I'm so sorry. If there's anything you need, you name it. Fewer shifts, less hours. You need it, it's yours."

"See, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell anyone. "I didn't want people to treat me differently. I didn't want them to see me differently like the way you do right now. I just want to--" She stopped and reached for the tray. She threw up. Her resolve was breaking down. Tears formed in her eyes. "I just want to go home," she said. It was a change from what she was going to say, but it was what she really wanted.

Luka nodded and reached for her coat. He helped her slip into it. "Ok, honey," he promised. "I'll take you home." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tube with Abby's blood. "Kerry, since you're the only one who knows, can you run this to the lab and stay there until the results are back?"

Kerry nodded. "Of course," she said. "Luka, take the day off. Take care of her."

"That was going to be my next question," Luka said.

Kerry nodded. "Oh, what am I having this tested for?"

"To see if she's pregnant," Luka said. He carefully helped Abby stand up. The young resident felt too faint to even do that. As soon as she was on her feet, she immediately fell back to Luka's arms. "Ok," Luka said. "Ok, I'll carry you. Just relax, Abby. You're going to be fine."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I am terribly sorry for the delay.

Chapter Six

Luka hoisted Abby up into his arms. He felt her tears running down onto his shirt. "It's ok, Abby," he soothed her. He gestured down at Abby's abandoned black winter coat. Weaver nodded and draped it over Abby's thin body like a blanket. She then walked over and opened the door for the two of them.

Luka carried Abby through the emergency room. His gesture earned many stares from the various ER staff members, Neela in particular. Everyone seemed concerned and confused. Weaver was following closely behind Luka. "Stop staring," she barked. "This isn't a circus. This is your co-worker's life. She deserves her privacy."

Abby picked up her head slightly and gave Weaver a grateful expression. Weaver nodded back slightly as if to say it was not a problem. She opened the main doors and stayed with Luka and Abby until Luka had successfully opened his car and placed Abby across the backseat. He handed Abby a small plastic basin in case she needed to get sick. He then kissed her forehead and closed the door.

"Thank you, Kerry," he said seriously as he stood up and faced his boss.

"No problem," Weaver told him in the same tone of voice. "Just take care of her, Luka. I don't care how long that takes."

Luka thanked her again before he got back into the car. He drove slowly as not to upset Abby's stomach any more than it already was. As soon as he got her home, he carefully carried her up to his apartment. Once they were inside, Luka carried her to the couch in front of the television. "Can I get you anything?" he asked her.

Abby shook her head. "I don't think I could keep anything down," she admitted. She had finally stopped crying. Her eyes were still red, but she was able to speak coherently. "Could you just sit with me?" she asked him.

"Of course," he said as he sat down on the couch. Abby moved closer towards him and rested her head against his chest. She curled her knees up to her chest and pulled a blanket over her body. He wrapped his arm around her. "Do you want to watch something?" he asked.

Abby shrugged. "Sure," she whispered. She was getting too tired to remain focused on anything. Luka flipped the television. He was in the process of flipping through the channels when Abby stopped him. The television screen showed something unfamiliar to him, but obviously Abby recognized it. "_Buffy the Vampire Slayer_," she informed him as she realized his confusion. "I used to watch this all the time when I was sick," she admitted. She exhaled deeply as she fought back a yawn. "I just wish my problems were as simple as killing demons." Before Luka could rebut, she added, "And don't tell me I'm going to be ok," she told him. "You know very well that I might not be."

Luka did know that. He did not say anything to her. He just kept his hold on her. She remained awake for about half of the episode. During the commercial break after the second act, Luka glanced down at her. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes were closed. Her breathing was even, but she was definitely asleep. She looked peaceful. He carefully moved her head from his chest to a pillow on the couch. Once she was situated, he stood up. He moved over and turned the volume on his phone to low.

About an hour later, Luka realized that he was hungry. He made himself a sandwich, but kept hi main focus on Abby. So far she had not stirred. The phone distracted him from any further thoughts. "Hello, this is Luka," he said into the phone. His voice was soft as to not disturb Abby. He was fairly certain that if she could remain asleep through a couple fight scenes on the television, then this should be nothing, but he could not be sure. He proceeded on the side of caution just in case.

"Can I speak to Abigail Lockhart?" the voice on the other line said. It sounded like a receptionist.

"She's asleep right now," Luka said with one look at the couch. "Can I take a message?"

He heard a side conversation between the receptionist and someone else. Finally, the woman returned. "Sure," she said. "This is Sarah from Mercy General. We have an opening in our schedule tomorrow at eleven, so we were wondering if that was a convenient time for her."

"She'll be there," Luka promised. He thanked her before he hung up. Abby's surgery was moved up. He did not know if that was entirely a good thing. Of course, it was nice that she would be getting treated finally. However, if she was chosen ahead of some other patients, then it had to be because her condition was worse. Therefore, the chances of her survival were smaller. He did not know what to think.

Weaver called about a half an hour after Mercy. Abby's pregnancy was confirmed. She was not too far along, but she was in fact pregnant. Luka promised to pass the word along. He also made the executive decision to tell Kerry about Abby's surgery. He figured it was something she deserved to know. He heard Abby murmuring something, so he thanked Kerry and hung up.

"It's ok," he said as he knelt down in front of the couch. "Abby, it's ok," he continued. "I'm right here."

"Don't," Abby begged in her sleep. She started tossing on the couch. Luka had to wake her. He took one look at her and realized her forehead was nearly covered in sweat. "Don't," Abby repeated.

"Abby, it's ok," he said. He quickly rushed over and grabbed a hand towel from the refrigerator door handle. He dampened it then walked back to Abby. She had stopped tossing, but she was still murmuring nonsense. He placed the towel on her forehead. "Shh, Abby, it's all ok."

Abby opened her eyes. She saw Luka kneeling beside her. She took the cloth and wiped her face with it. She then moved it so that it covered the back of her neck. That felt good. "How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"Couple hours," Luka told her. "Do you feel any better?"

"Depends," Abby said with a shrug. "Did Weaver call back yet?"

Luka nodded. "So did Mercy," he told her. "Your surgery's scheduled for tomorrow at eleven."

Abby nodded slowly as she took the information in. "And Weaver?" she asked.

Luka did not have to say anything. Abby knew the answer. The tears started coming back towards her eyes. "This is too much," she choked. Luka's arms around her body did not do much to comfort her. "I mean, I know Maggie was not the best, but still…" she started. "I just wish my mother was here," she admitted. She leaned forward into Luka's embrace.

Luka just rubbed her back over and over again. Words would not solace her. He knew that. He had to be the one to provide comfort for her. He stayed with her. Eventually, she cried herself back to sleep. He carried her over towards his bed and tucked her in. He refused to leave her side.


End file.
